MBenz...what you talkin 'bout? Martin's rear bumper is the same as my E500 and all others I have seen.

I don't believe there was a change to the rear bumper for 1994, other than painting the previously black rubber strip to body color ("colour" for Martin ).

Check out the photo gallery on my website and compare!

__________________
Dean Albrecht
"Lead, follow, or better yet, get out of the way!"E500 owners motto

Dean...good point...

I checked the pictures on your web site and surfed around for some other E500 pictures. I found more E500's with the old style rear bumper.

When mercedes changed their W124 into the W124 E class in 1993/4, they changed the hood and trunk lid (except for the coupe and convertible), they changed the taillights, head light lenses, corners, and lower headlight filler panels. Furthermore they changed the bumpers as well. The front bumper was kept the same but with a smooth colored bumper strip (instead of the former rougher black strip) and they changed the rear bumper for a bumper with a smooth colored bumper strip that was stretched till the rear wheels (instead of the rougher black strip that was ended in line with the side view of the taillights).

I searched for pictures on the web, but couldn't find exactly what I searched for...this is what I mean:




I have seen E500's with the stretched bumper strips as well, but don't know anymore whether/when/what/or-at-all was changed by mercedes on the rear of the E500.

greetingz,

[Edited by MBenz on 05-04-2001 at 05:59 PM]

__________________
1990 300SL-24
1993 C250D with a minor 600+k kilometer
www.MBenzNL.com(the Netherlands)

Martin's car looks like a pukka E500 to me.

He says he bought it as a 1993 car. His number plate was issued in Essex in 1993, necessarily after August 1993, since the 'L' prefix was released only from 1st August 1993.

In fact, his car could be from August 1993 to July 1994 (after which time the 'M' prefix was released). I gather the W124 was face-lifted and re-named the E-class for the 1993 model year (in the UK for 'L' registered cars).

Moreover, every element of his car matches the E-class model. Especially important is the boot lid (trunk). This is a totally different and expensive part in the UK. His rear bumper to my eyes is more consistent with an E500 than with a 500E because the insert is the same colour as the rest of the bumper and not simply black (see photos of 500E under the cars tab on this site).

MBenz, your pics of cars with the elongated rear bumper insert are all of non-500 model W124s. Given the flared arches on the V-8, is the rear bumper the same part on the 5.0 litre W124 as on other variants: if it is different, it is unlikely that MB went to the expense of re-engineering a new part especially for the E500; certainly they used the same front bumper as before. Obviously, the bonnet/hood and boot/trunk lids are interchangeable.

As for the side markers, these are indeed called repeaters. They flash on and off with the indicators. They are required by construction and use law in some jurisdictions including the UK.

I have to say I think Martin has got a pretty cool spec, especially the colour and wheels: v. discrete.

I saw a dark blue metallic E500 just the other day, fitted with 17" evo alloys. Driven by a very nice blonde babe. Passed me at about 120.



[Edited by jjrodger on 05-04-2001 at 06:16 PM]

__________________
JJ Rodger
2013 G350 Bluetec
1999 SL 500
1993 E300 diesel T
1990 190

...for the new pictures, Martin.

I especially appreciate your "repeater"/marker detail.

It might be cool to see some in-motion shots, assuming you can persuade a friend of yours to photograph you on the road. Then again, you'd have to ease off, just a tad, on the accelerator - so as not to leave your photographer in the dust...

Kind regards,

run.exe,

I am still treating the car gently. This is a first automatic I've ever driven. I've just discovered kickdown. Well, not really, I'm just not using it as often yet.

Yesterday I went for an evening session and got a Porsche like acceleration out of it. I thought I felt a torque steer at one point. It sounds fabulous and goes like a rocket.

Still my temperature shows only between 40 - 50 degrees, climbing to just above 50 when driving hard in town.
Worries me a bit!

I'll take it to the track as soon as possible and see if I can trust someone to take pictures. I'd love to do it myself, but who'll drive the car?


Regards

Martin Wollny (UK)
1972 Mercedes 280SE 3.5 (manual)
1979 Mercedes 230
1993 Mercedes E500
(www.motorsnippets.com)